A recent “Flavor Trend Category Report” by Technomic concludes that Asian people have the highest tolerance for spicy foods, while Caucasians have the least. While it's easy to joke about various cultures' spice tolerances (or lack thereof!), it's difficult to have a truly universal understanding of spice tolerance.
It is not that they cannot taste the spiciness altogether, but they feel less pain and heat. Over time, eating spicy food can desensitize nerve endings, resulting in a higher spice tolerance. People from Mexico, Korea, or India are naturally more tolerant of spicy food because they consume them regularly.
México. Mexicans do know how to cook with spice. There is a reason why Mexico is recognized as one of the countries with the world's spiciest food. You will try dishes made with Jalapeño, Pabloan, Serrano, Habanero, and Ancho in Mexican food.
The cultures of the far north (Inuit/Aleut or less politically correct Eskimo) don't historically have spicy food, they relied on fermented and rotted meat and fish to supply flavors that could be loosely termed a spice substitute.
There is no scientific evidence to suggest that Asian people have a genetic adaptation that allows them to eat super spicy food. However, it is true that many Asian cuisines use a lot of spices and chili peppers in their cooking, and people who grow up eating these foods may become accustomed to the heat over time.
Nando's also examined data from thousands of their own customers, revealing that only 22 per cent of Australians seek out intense flavours. Jude Leon of Nando's said that 'despite considering ourselves a nation of adventurous... most Aussies tend to stick with mild, rather than wild, options when it comes to flavours.
Why? A look into the anything-but-bland origins—and the fiery future—of a famously bland cuisine.
One of the main reasons that Japanese food is not typically spicy is due to the country's culinary history. As an island nation with a long history of relying on seafood. The Japanese traditionally focused on bringing out the natural flavors of their fresh ingredients rather than adding a lot of spices.
Indian food is very spice forward, and often uses chilis as well. They tend to use fresh ingredients blended with many different spices mixed together, and cooked to get rid of the raw spice flavor. Korean food, on the other hand, is usually is spicy due to their use of chilis, and less of spice.
Vietnamese cuisines are generally not spicy but it completely depends on the individual's taste for what they want to eat. Vietnamese food is usually loaded with herbs and fresh veggies, but spice can only be experienced in a few dishes. Vietnamese cuisines have number of must-try delicious dishes and foods.
African delicacies are usually very spicy. This is because the continent has a warm climate, which causes the spices to be more potent. The most commonly used spices in African cuisine are chilli peppers, ginger, garlic, and cumin. These spices are used in dishes such as stews, curries, stir-fries, and soups.
The study found that there was a common genetic factor that regulated responses to spicy foods. The results revealed that genetic factors accounted for 18% to 58% of the variation in the enjoyment of spicy food, which allowed the researchers to conclude that spice tolerance does have ties to genetics.
The more you eat spicy foods, the more resistance you develop and the lesser of the effect of the capsaicin in your mouth. As you get comfortable with a particular degree of hotness, you may start to increase it gradually to see how far you can go. Don't forget the cold milk to help with the heat or a piece of bread.
The reason why we feel the burn differently is both physical and psychological. Did You Know? Spicy foods contain a chemical called capsaicin, which activates a receptor found in your mouth and on your tongue called a TRPV1 receptor.
The trend for hot and spicy foods in Australia has grown considerably over the past ten years and it doesn't look to be slowing down any time soon.
Korean food uses lots of spices and sauces; they play a prominent part in the flavour of each dish. Many Korean dishes use chilli pepper to season, but Japanese food rarely does. Japanese food in general is much less spicy than Korean food.
However, while other Asian countries are famous for their spicy dishes and peppers, Japanese cooking tends to stay on the more mild side. Still, we know sometimes you want an extra kick and spice to accompany with your meal.
Koreans enthusiastically chow down on even the spiciest of foods mainly due to two reasons: 맵부심 (maebusim) and taste. Maebusim stems from the unique culture shared between South Koreans, and it means the pride of being able to stomach and handle one's spice.
With these reasons we can see that undoubtedly Koreans are lovers of spicy food, and this has become part of their culture. It is evident that there are very delicious dishes such as Kimchi (김치), Tteokbokki (떡볶이) and Buldak (불닥) that are distinguished by that spicy flavor that we certainly love the most.
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Authentic Thai food is known to be spicy because it uses some of the hottest chilies and spices you can find. Unfortunately, not everyone enjoys spicy food, making it a challenge for all to try Thai cuisines. If you can't handle food with too much heat, you can still enjoy Thai cuisine by choosing non-spicy dishes.